Holy sites connected by Vande Bharat joins India's culture with development: PM Modi

Varanasi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said the Vande Bharat network connecting India's pilgrimage sites is joining the country's culture, faith and the development journey.

Speaking after flagging off four new Vande Bharat Express trains here from the Banaras railway station, Modi said pilgrimages in India have been considered a medium of national consciousness for centuries.

The pilgrimages are not just a way to visit sites of religious importance, but "a sacred tradition that connects India's soul".

"Countless pilgrimage sites like Prayagraj, Ayodhya, Haridwar, Chitrakoot, and Kurukshetra are centres of our spiritual stream," he said, addressing a gathering for the launch of the Vande Bharat trains.

He said the Vande Bharat network serves as a way to "connect India's culture, faith, and development journey." "This is an important step toward making India's heritage cities symbols of the country's development," Modi said.

He added that the economic aspect of these pilgrimages is not often discussed.

"The development work undertaken in Uttar Pradesh over the past 11 years has taken spiritual tourism to a new level. Last year, 11 crore devotees visited Kashi to visit Baba Vishwanath. After the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, more than six crore people have visited Ram Lalla. These devotees have benefited Uttar Pradesh's economy by thousands of crores of rupees," Modi said.

The prime minister added that religious tourism has provided Uttar Pradesh's hotels, merchants, transport companies, local artistes, and boatmen with the opportunity to earn a steady income.

"As a result, hundreds of young people in Varanasi are now starting new businesses in everything from transportation to Banarasi sarees. All this is opening the doors of prosperity to Uttar Pradesh and Kashi," Modi said.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also attended the event.

The four new Vande Bharat Express trains flagged off on Saturday will operate on the Banaras-Khajuraho, Lucknow-Saharanpur, Firozpur-Delhi and Ernakulam-Bengaluru routes.

The semi-high-speed trains will significantly reduce travel time between major stations, enhance regional mobility, promote tourism and support economic activity across the country, the government said in a statement.